A New Way to Bleed
by Tombraider97
Summary: Lara is invited to join the Avengers. She accepts, but she's not the only new recruit. Lara/Loki. Rated T just in case. Sorry if any characters seem out of character. Also some Hurt/Comfort included.
1. Invitation

**AN: Hello! Kinda doubt many people will read this but oh well, this is for fun. Sorry for the first chapter being so short, the next one should be longer. I will try to update fast but I can get kinda busy with school sometimes. This story is set after the Avengers. Anyway I hope you enjoy it and please review! (Sorry there's no Loki in this chapter, hopefully by the next.)**

_Oh no, where did all the years go  
And was it really worth all of this  
Heartache that was handed to me  
Holding on just don't make sense  
But the hardest part of letting go  
Is tryin' to find a way  
To let you know  
~ Cry by Jason Walker_

Lara gripped the handhold above as she advanced upward to move her foot higher. She had gone back to Bolivia to do some rock climbing, to ease her mind. It had been a few months since she stopped Natla from triggering the Seventh Age, and she was having trouble dealing with the truth of her mother. Lara didn't have much expectations of finding her mother alive after all these years, but, still, she had hoped.

Lara reached a small cliff protruding from the high mountain. She settled down to take a break and to go over her thoughts. She gazed out over the scenery, remembering why she loved rock climbing so much. She looked down to her hand, which still displayed Thor's iron gauntlet. She had kept them, to remember the journey. She had lost Mjolnir in the battle with Natla, but perhaps it was for the best. Mjolnir may have been the most powerful weapon on Earth.

She had felt an odd emptiness settle inside of her once it was all over. What was she to do now? She had accomplished her main mission in life. Of course, there were still tombs to raid, but it seemed pointless now. Lara hated this feeling of depression. It was something she was not use to. She had always remained strong, and was able to push the emotions away. A small part of her blamed herself for Mother's death. She always had, even once she discovered Amanda's interference. Now, not only her mum's passing haunted her, but also Alister's.

She finally noticed the tears slipping down her face, and she quickly wiped them away. Lara took deep breaths, hoping to remove the sadness from her mind.

"Lady Croft?"

She jumped, surprised by the sudden voice coming from her headset.

Lara fingered the communicator and pressed it closer to her mouth. She replied, careful to hide the grief from her voice, "Yes, Winston?"

She had requested no interruptions unless necessary. _It must be important,_ she concluded.

"There is someone desiring to hold on audience with you." Winston informed.

"Who?" Lara asked, curiously.

Winston paused for a moment before continuing. "He refers to himself as Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. as in Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division?"

"Yes. Do you know him?" Winston sounded surprise.

"I've heard of them, but I've never met Director Fury. They had something do to with the recent 'alien invasion' in Manhattan, did they not?"

"I believe that is what Fury wanted to discuss."

Lara thought over it for a moment, wondering why Fury would want to speak about that with her. "Is he there now?"

"Yes. Should I tell him you're on vacation and escort him off the estate?"

Lara contemplated the idea for a moment, but she had to admit; she was curious about what Director Fury wanted. She sighed, "Give him one of the guest bedrooms, and tell him I'll be there in a couple of days."

"Are you sure you wish to do this, Ms. Croft? You do deserve a vacation." Winston questioned, thinking only of his mistress' needs.

Lara smiled. She was lucky to have Winston. "You know I've never been good at relaxing. I will welcome some action." She wasn't sure if her last statement was true, but she wanted to convince her butler.

"As you wish, Ms. Croft. I will inform the Director." Lara heard the click of her headset as Winston signed off.

Lara stood, beginning the process of stretching her muscles again for the climb down. As Lara found a foothold for her descent, she questioned in her mind what she had just gotten herself into.

xOxOx

Lara parked her black motorcycle in her manor's garage. She swung her leg over the seat, and made her way to the door. She had dress in a casual grey shirt with black pants. Her boots stomped on the hard floor as she entered the main hall of her manor.

Lara stopped to gaze at the large picture of her parents above the stone fireplace. She began to zone out, thinking of past memories with them before everything fell apart. Winston broke her from her daze with a greeting.

"How was your trip, Miss Croft?" Winston asked, taking the bag from Lara's hand.

Lara forced her gaze away from the picture to look at Winston. She smiled, "It was lovely. I enjoyed the climb."

Lara removed her eyes from Winston to see an African-American wearing black clothes standing in the main hall. Lara nodded towards him in greeting. "Director Fury."

He returned the nod. "Ms. Croft."

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I needed a vacation." Lara looked to Winston. "Would you mind setting a pot of tea on for us? Thank you."

Lara moved to the white couches close to the fireplace. "Please, sit."

Fury sat. "Right down to business?"

"Not to be rude, but I'm quite curious as to why someone like you has come to speak to someone like me." Lara answered.

The agent with one eye nodded. "What do you know of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Lara crossed her legs before answering. "Not much. Other than they just prevented the world from being taken over by aliens."

"You sound skeptical?"

Lara shrugged. "I wasn't there to experience it firsthand."

Nick Fury paused, considering his next words carefully. "Now, what do you know of the Avengers?"

Lara watched as Winston brought in a tea tray with many assortments on it. "Anything else, Lady Croft?" He asked as he set the tray down.

"No, thank you. That will be all, Winston." Lara excused him. Lara waited until he left the room before she continued with her response. "You mean the group of 'superheroes' that aided in defeating the aliens?"

"Now you really sound skeptical." Fury said with smile. "And I find that amusing after everything you've been through."

Lara raised her eyebrow at him as she poured a tea into her cup. "How do you know about what 'I've been through'? Have you been spying on me, Director?"

"I wouldn't say spying, exactly." Fury explained as he reached for his own cup. "Just keeping a close eye on you."

"And why would you need to keep a close eye on me?" Lara took a sip from her cup.

"For future needs."

Lara set her tea cup back down, and gave Director Fury a bewildered look. "'Future needs'? The Avengers are a group of superheroes. You can't possibly think I would belong in it."

"Not really superheroes. Just people with special abilities or extraordinary talents, except for a Norse god of Thunder, maybe." Fury clarified. "Which in that case, you would fit in just fine."

Lara hesitated, comprehending the spy's words. "What exactly are you saying, Director?"

"We have reason to believe there will be another invasion. One much bigger than the last." Fury revealed. "I want to make sure we are well-prepared for it. So, Miss Croft, what I'm saying here is I would like to invite you to the Avengers Initiative."

Fury stood, awaiting Lara's decision. Lara remained silent for a few minutes, considering her options. She looked down to the gauntlets that still covered her hands. Lara gazed back up and looked Director Fury in the eye.

"Count me in."

**Thank you for reading, and im sorry if there are any grammar mistakes or spelling mistakes.**


	2. Arriving

**AN: Hey, my laptop's fixed yay! I was gonna make this chapter longer but I changed my mind and just went with this. Hopefully its good. No Loki in this chapter... but prolly in the next chapter. I know Lara seems a little OOC, but after everything she's been through it makes sense to me. And you never really see Lara when she's not in a crazy situation lol. Anyway, yeah i changed the title cuz I didn't like it. A New Way To Bleed is a song from the Avengers and its my favorite, you should try it.**

The black motorcycle took a sharp left turn under a dark grey sky. _Normal England weather,_ Lara thought as she drove closer to her destination. Lara started to realize that picking a bike as her mode of transportation may became a bad decision if it began to rain. Lara was traveling to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s private airport to meet Director Fury. From there, they would be going to the secret base located in the United States.

Lara reminisced about home and her friends. She didn't feel like she was prepared to leave her home after everything that had happened. But it was probably for the best. As Winston often told her she should take a vacation, without going to a tomb. Lara slowed at the intersection, and then took a right towards the airport.

xOxOx

Mara Hill checked her watch for the fourth time since her arrival. The navy blue wristwatch read 11:55. _Ms. Croft isn't late per say, it just wouldn't kill her to get here quicker,_ Agent Hill concluded. Agent Hill wasn't fond of the dark dreary weather of England. And it was just her luck when it begun to rain. The agent next to her pulled out his umbrella and held it over both their heads. Maria watched as the raindrops hit the pavement, already creating puddles of water.

Agent Hill was awakened from her trance at the loud sound of a motorcycle engine approaching her. She observed as the bike rolled into the airport's parking lot. Agent Hill motioned to the man next to her to move forward. Maria walked towards the newest member of the Avenger's team to greet her.

AvAvA

Lara swung her right leg over the motorcycle. She removed her large helmet to see a tall woman and a man with an umbrella walking towards her. The woman had dark brown hair pulled into a bun and she wore a large coat protecting her from the rain. Lara didn't mind the rain splashing onto her, soaking in her clothing, but it was obvious the woman did.

When the woman neared, she spoke. "Lara Croft, I presume?"

Lara smiled at the greeting. "Yes, I am she. Where is Director Fury?"

"Director Fury had important business to attend to. He sent me in his place." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Agent Hill, second in command under Director Fury."

Lara placed her helmet on the backseat of the bike, and then shook Agent Hill's hand. "Nice to meet you. Are we ready to depart?"

Mara Hill nodded fervently, ready to leave this weather behind. "I'll go tell the pilot prepare the plane for our departure."

Lara removed her one duffel bag of essentials and a long, slender bag. Agent Hill paused when she saw the second bag, confused on what it may hold.

"A rifle, sir?" Agent Hill guessed.

Lara raised an eyebrow at her. "Sir?"

"I'm sorry, would you prefer I call you by a different title?" Agent Hill questioned.

Lara chuckled. "My name will suffice, Agent Hill. As for the bag, it's not a rifle. It's a bit more… special than that."

Agent Hill quickly boarded the small plane with Lara close behind her. Maria removed her furry coat as she went to the cockpit to inform the pilot it was time to leave. When Maria returned, Lara was handing her bags to the flight attendant.

"Please be careful with these." Lara warned the flight attendant who gave her an affirmed nod.

Agent Hill moved across the cabin of the plane and took her seat. She motioned to Lara. "Please have a seat, we have much to discuss."

AvAvA

"Here." Lara looked up at Agent Hill who was handing her a thick folder. "All the information you require will be in here."

Lara took the heavy file and placed it on her lap to observe. She began flipping through the pages, reading about the Avengers and their battle in New York. She studied the pages for at least an hour when she reached a new topic. The topic of this page was of a certain God of Mischief, Loki. Lara froze, surprised by the picture displaying the evil god. He had pale skin with raven black hair that came to his shoulders. But the one feature that stood out the most to her was his eyes. _Unnaturally green,_ Lara described them in her mind.

Agent Hill cleared her throat, causing Lara to realize that she had been watching her closely. Lara immediately flipped the page, not getting a chance to read through it completely, and did her best to hide her blushing face from the woman sitting across from her. _Why caused me to stare at him so?_ She wondered, confused. She knew the things he had done, that he had tried to take over the world, causing chaos for innocent citizens.

"Why, exactly, did Direct Fury invite me?" Lara asked, curiously. "Wasn't Loki defeated in Manhattan? What does he need of me?"

Agent Hill remained silent for a good time before coming up with answer. "Director Fury wants to be… prepared. In case we end up in events like that again." Agent Hill paused, then explained more. "Loki was defeated, but we have suspicions that there may be something worse. Loki had mentioned he was working with someone else. And that someone else wanted the Tesseract. That is why Director Fury wants you on the team. You also seem to know a lot about the Norse mythology."

Lara smiled. "You could say that. Thank you for telling me this."

"It's my job."

AvAvA

"Sir? I mean, Lara? The plane's landed."

Lara cracked open her eyes, not realizing she had fallen asleep. She sat up immediately from her hunched over position on the table next to her. She had a lot trouble sleeping lately, and exhaustion must have set in during the flight.

"I… apologize for falling asleep." Lara said, embarrassed by her actions.

Agent Hill gave her a grim smile. "It's alright. I fell asleep myself."

Lara exited the plane which had landed in front of a large building. The building didn't really look like a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base, but it was definitely big enough to be one.

"Where are we? Or is that confidential?" Lara joked as Agent Hill came to stand next to her.

Agent Hill didn't laugh, but Lara didn't miss the upwards twitch of her lips. "We are located in Oregon."

"Well, that's a pity for you."

Agent Hill raised an eyebrow.

"You traded temporary bad weather for permanent bad weather."

Agent Hill smiled lightly. "I plan to stay inside. Come on, Director Fury's eager to see you."

An agent came off the plane carrying Lara's bags. "I'll take them." She said quickly, not trusting her important weapons with him.

"Why is Director Fury so eager to see me?" Lara asked as she caught up with Agent Hill.

Agent Hill shrugged. "He's glad you accepted the invitation. He's impressed with your work and thinks you will be a good addition to the team."

Lara nodded, glad that Director Fury thought so highly of her. She took a deep breath, anticipating the new adventure she was beginning. She dearly hoped she wouldn't lose any loved ones this time.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy it and I'm sorry if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes. Please review :D.**


	3. She's Special

**AN: Here we go! Sorry it took so long. I got distracted with Thanksgiving and then going back to school... Anyway, thanks to all those who have read, favorited, reviewed, and followed. I appreciate very much. Each time i get an email from fanfiction i save it XP. I don't own anything... sadly XP**

Lara followed Agent Hill down the long series of hallways. They had previously stopped at Lara's room, to drop off her items before continuing on their way to Director Fury. Lara studied the architect as they traveled to their destination. The place was plain, with white walls and some rooms had large metal doors guarding them. Most agents they passed wore black suits or outfits more like Agent Hill's.

"We're here." Agent Hill stopped and turned to Lara.

Lara managed to halt herself before running into Agent Hill. They had stopped in front of a large grey metal door, guarding the entryway to Director Fury's office. "Oh, thank you."

Agent Hill gave her a curt nod and then turned on her heel. Lara faced the door, wondering if she should knock. She raised her hand hesitantly and knocked softly on the door.

She heard a soft 'Come in.' and the door slide open. Lara entered. This room was different than the rest of the building. The walls were made out of metal, like the door. Director Fury sat in the middle of the room behind a desk.

"Hello, Ms. Croft. I…" Director Fury greeted until he was interrupted.

"Please, call me Lara. I hate formalities." Lara explained.

Director Fury nodded. "Alright… Lara. I trust you had a good flight."

"It was fine." Lara replied, not wanting to admit to her 'nap' on the flight.

There was a slight pause in the conversation. "I'm sorry about what happened to your father." Fury gave his condolences.

Lara raised an eyebrow. "Little late for that, isn't it? It happened a few years ago."

Fury shrugged. "I meant to go to his funeral. We were friends."

"Friends? Or business partners?" Lara asked. "I never knew he worked for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Well, I wouldn't say he worked for us. But he kept us up to date on his projects. Just in case they ever got out of hand." Fury revealed. "We were both. He asked me to keep an eye on you, but S.H.I.E.L.D. was going through difficult times. Every time I contacted Winston, he acted like you were doing well enough."

Lara paused for a moment, taking in all this new information. "That's why you hired me isn't? You asked Winston how I was doing and he…"

"He told me about the events with your mother." Fury finished for her. "It isn't the only reason. I need someone like you on the team."

Lara wasn't happy with the situation. She didn't like the idea that people were taking pity on her. But perhaps this was for the best. She needed something to do, or was she was going to lose her mind. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Director Fury looked down at his hands. "I was worried you would decline."

Lara laughed. "So you dragged me here, thinking I wouldn't change my mind after my trip. Well, I'm considering leaving."

"I don't think you will." Fury responded.

Lara froze, unsure of how to respond to his comment. "I don't like being manipulated."

Fury chuckled humorlessly. "Neither do I. And that's not what I'm trying to do."

"Really? I did my research on S.H.I.E.L.D. before I came." Lara spoke. "You wanted to make weapons with the Tesseract and didn't tell the Avengers about it."

Fury glared at her. "How do you know that?"

Lara shrugged and shifted on her feet. "I have a good hacker."

"It wasn't my decision to make the weapons." Fury clarified.

"As it wasn't your decision to send that missile to Manhattan?" Lara queried. She held her hand up as Fury began to interrupt her, silencing him. She walked towards his desk. "I may help S.H.I.E.L.D. when the next catastrophic events begin," Lara placed both hands on the Director's desk and bent forward to look him in the eye. "But I will not follow orders that endanger harmless civilians."

"I was not the one who authorized that missile." Director Fury spoke clearly and strongly.

"Just so we're clear." Lara backed up and moved away. "Is there anything else you wish to speak to me about?"

Director Fury stood quite suddenly. "I think it's time for you to meet the other Avengers."

Fury walked past her, expecting Lara to follow. She started to leave the Director's office, but she had an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't place. Lara had learned in the past to trust her instincts. She put up her guard as she followed Fury down the hall.

It took Lara a moment to notice how quiet it was. When Lara had formerly walked these hallways, they had been bustling with activity. Now it was empty and silent. Lara stopped and glanced behind her to find nothing.

Director Fury halted when he noticed Lara. "Is something wrong?"

Lara looked back at him. "Where are all the agents?"

Fury gave her a confused look. "Why?"

"Nevermind." Lara realized how ridiculous she sounded.

They continued walking down the long corridor until Lara heard a sound behind her. She whipped around to find herself face to face with the God of Mischief. Lara reacted quickly by pulling out a 9x19 mm Walther P99 from the holster hidden under her leather jacket.

Loki wore his less extravagant Asgardian armor and minus the golden horned helmet. He assumed a stance preparing for battle. Lara took aim and was about to pull the trigger when Director Fury stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that. The bullets just ricochet off him." Fury warned.

Lara readied herself incase Loki decided to charge, but he made no move. He was waiting for her to make the first move.

With them standing about five feet apart, Lara determined her first course of action. She tucked her pistol back in her jacket quickly, but Loki took that moment to attack. He lunged forward, thrusting his spear towards Lara. She barely managed to dodge the weapons vicious point.

Lara grabbed Loki's staff and yanked it away from him, causing him to come closer. Lara used the moment to strike. As she brought her fist back, she felt an electric charge pulse from the Norse gauntlet. Lara punched the evil god, square in the jaw. She could feel the electricity leave her hand as it collided with Loki's face. He landed hard on the floor with a grunt.

Lara flipped the scepter with the pointed-end facing down, and raised it above her head about to bring it down.

"Wait!" Fury stopped her before she could give the killing strike. "As much as I would like to let you kill him, I can't."

Lara stared at Fury as Loki groaned on the floor. He sat up slowly, wiping the blood away from his mouth. "I thought you said she was a _mortal._" Loki growled.

"She is." Fury confirmed. "She's just a bit… special."

Lara glared at the Director. "Explanation. Now."

Director Fury sighed. "Loki is serving his punishment here on Earth. But he's not allowed to stray too far from Thor. We would keep him in a cage, but Thor won't let us."

Lara watched as Loki stood slowly. "And why did he attack us?" Lara questioned.

Director Fury hesitated before answering. "It was a test. I wanted to see your reaction to the situation."

Lara felt a small spark of fury begin to brew in her, but she let it die quickly, not seeing the point in being angry. "You could have just told me to attack him. I would have had no problem with that."

Loki glared at her comment, but remained silent. Fury chuckled. "I wanted it to be a surprise attack. You did well." Fury faced Loki. "How's it feel to get beaten by a 'mortal'?

Loki let a sound that was equivalent to a growl and then turned on his heel and left them.

"Isn't he dangerous with his magic?" Lara wondered aloud.

Fury shook his head. "He's very limited. Apparently Odin built something that restricts him from using magic. I don't know what it is, but Thor assures me that he is powerless."

Lara nodded, and Fury continued walking down the hallway. "Now, let's meet the Avengers."


	4. Meet-and-Greet

**AN: This took way longer than I intended... lol. Srry I've been crazy busy. Thank you for all the favorites, reviews, and followers! Also i apologize for this chapter being short. **

**I do not own Avengers, or any Marvel stuff, it belongs to Marvel. **

The room Lara entered contained six individuals, one sitting at the slender, long table centered in the middle of the gray room. Nick Fury came in behind her. He halted in front of her to address the group.

"Avengers, meet Lara Croft." Director Fury introduced. "She has spent her life exploring tombs, and discovering ancient artifacts. She has fought against mythical creatures, and saved the world a few times over. Lara is the new addition to our team."

_Fury did his research,_ thought Lara, uncomfortable with the idea of someone keeping such a close eye on her.

A few nodded a greeting, while others voiced theirs. The man who was sitting casually at the table crossed his arms. He wore average clothing, unlike the others in the room.

A smirk grew on his face as his eyes surveyed Lara up and down. "'Bout time we had another female around here."

Lara glared at the still-smirking man, hands on her hips. "Keep your eyes up if you'd like them to remain inside your head."

He smiled wider and laughed. "Oh! I like her! You sure know how to pick'em, Fury. He stretched out a hand. "My name's Tony Stark, but I'm sure you recognize me. Y'know, with me being a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

Lara let a long sigh, with a roll of her eyes, and shook Tony's hand. "A pleasure to meet you." The words came out with a hint of sarcasm.

Tony picked up on it. "You're right, it is." Tony mumbled as the handshake ended.

A woman with fiery red hair approached Lara. "You'll have to excuse him." She smiled, and held out her hand. "I'm Agent Romanoff. But you can call me Natasha. And… I have to agree with Tony. It will be nice to have another woman here in this sea of testosterone."

The second handshake ensued. Lara chuckled. "Call me Lara."

"Welcome to the Avenger's team. Meet Agent Barton." Natasha gestured to a middle-aged man with brown hair wearing a black suit similar to Natasha's.

"Legolas." Tony interjected while observing his nails.

"What?" Lara ased.

Natasha shook her head. "Tony has nicknames for most of us. He calls Barton Legolas because of his archery skills."

Agent Barton greeted Lara with a nod of his head. "Agent Croft-…"

"Please, Lara." Lara corrected.

Barton nodded. "All right. Lara."

Lara turned to a man slightly older than the others, wearing a purple button-down shirt with brown slacks. "Hello, I'm Dr. Bruce Banner."

Lara was surprised to see someone like him on the team. The others were fairly obvious that they had special fighting abilities. "A doctor?"

"Don't let him fool you." Tony butted in. "He turns into a green rage monster when he's mad."

Lara looked questioningly at Banner as he chuckled. "You'll see later. Well, hopefully you won't, actually."

A handsome man with an all-American appearance moved forward. With a smile that could light up a room, he said, "I'm Steve Rogers. I'm glad to have you with us." Then he thought better of what he said. "I mean, we're _all_ glad to have you here. On the team. It's good to have more people here."

Lara stopped him before he could continue. "It's nice to meet you too, Steve."

"Capsicle, Spangly, talk to me if you want more." Tony mentioned. Lara decided to ignore him and his future comments.

Steve looked down to hide his red face and ran a hand through his blonde hair, willing himself to calm down after the embarrassing moment.

"Lara," Lara turned around to face who had spoken her name and came face to chest. The man with a deep voice was taller than Lara had anticipated. He wore silver armor, protecting his strong build. His blonde hair, that framed a face with striking blue eyes, fell to his shoulders. Lara wasn't at all surprised by his next statement. "I am Thor, god of thunder."

"Point break, Blondie, Goldielocks." Tony listed.

Thor spoke as if he knew her, which compelled her to ask: "Do you know me?"

Thor smiled wistfully. "Heimdall has kept a close eye on you as he was commanded by my father, Odin. He has become very interested in you since your battle in Helheim. A mortal woman wielding the mighty hammer, Mjolnir."

"What does me being a 'woman' have to do with it?" Lara accused.

Thor chuckled and raised his hands in a non-threatening manner. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything. I am merely impressed with the feats you've accomplished. My apologies if I have offended you."

Lara relaxed. "It's alright. My question is, are there two Mjolnirs? I had one and yet so do you."

Thor paused for a moment, considering his response. "The hammer you found was the one I had used during my time on Earth, and I required the use of the gauntlets and the belt. Once I was called to Asgard, I got an 'enhanced' Mjolnir." Thor hesitated. "Where is the Mjolnir you recovered?"

Lara sighed, feeling sheepish. "I… threw it. It didn't come back. It was during the battle in Helheim. I'm afraid it's lost from this world forever."

"You lost a Mjolnir?" Tony laughed hard. "Yeah, let's definitely add her to this group. She fits right in with Spider Girl, Bird Boy, Anger Management, Sleeping Beauty, Prince Hammer and One Eye. I thought she was supposed to _find_ artifacts, not lose them?"

It was Nick Fury's turn to glare at Tony. "Are you done?"

Tony kept grinning. "Not really, but I suppose I can shut up for a while."

"I won't hold my breath." Natasha murmured.

Thor glanced at Lara's hands. "You still possess the gauntlets and belt?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure what purpose they will fulfill now." Lara absently rubbed at the gauntlets.

"You may be surprised." Thor spoke. "With the gauntlets, it may be possible for you to control lightning with them. The belt would generate the electricity and your gauntlets would guide them."

Lara gazed at the gauntlets. "I will have to test it out."

"For another time." Fury interrupted.

"Ok, the meet and greet is done!" Tony began to rise out of his chair when the Director stopped him.

"We still have matters to discuss." Fury mentioned. Tony sighed and returned to his chair.

Thor intervened. "What will we be doing next? There is no immediate threat."

"Yet." Fury sounded anxious. "Loki was not alone when he attacked Manhattan. I want us to be prepared for what is to come next."

"We need an idea of what that is." Agent Romanoff said. "How are we going to get that information?"

"You did pretty well with Loki last time he revealed his plans to you." Rogers suggested.

Thor shook his head. "I do not think Loki will be tricked twice. He barely speaks to any of us."

"There is always another means of getting the info we want." Agent Barton's mouth twisted up maniacally.

"You mean torture?" Steve asked, shocked.

Thor took a defensive stance. "You will not harm my brother."

"Doesn't he deserve it?" Barton growled. "Because of him, a lot of people are dead! Why not give him a taste of his own medicine?"

"And stoop down to his level?" Lara questioned.

Many glanced at Lara surprised she said anything, but then nodded in agreement.

Steve stood next to Lara. "She's right. We don't need to be brought down to his level."

Fury interjected before Agent Barton could reply. "I already have a plan. But it's for Lara alone."

"You mean, you aren't going to tell us?" Natasha questioned, obviously disagreeing with the idea.

"The fewer people that know of the plan, the better. I don't want word getting around to Loki." Fury explained.

Lara stiffened as she felt the many gazes fall upon her and burn through her. Before she could ask Fury her question, he dismissed the Avengers from the room. At first, no one moved, surprised they were being asked to leave. Agent Barton straightened from his leaning position against the wall and quietly left the room. Slowly, the others followed, although Tony was resistant. He had a small staring contest with the Director until Fury's one-eyed gaze convinced Tony to leave.

Now that Nick and Lara were alone, Lara spoke up. "Why me?"

"Loki doesn't know you. And you're the only one who hasn't beaten the crap out of him… yet." Fury began. "You have a better chance at this then the others do."

Lara hesitated before asking the main question: "What, exactly, is your plan?"

Fury stared at Lara. "I want you to gain his trust."

Lara raised a brown eyebrow, bemused by his idea. "What makes you think I can do that? And what would be the point of it?"

"We need the information that he is not willing to give us." Fury explained. "Perhaps, if you can achieve his trust, then you may be able to acquire the info without any pain."

"What if he sees right through this little ploy?"

"Go to all lengths to convince him otherwise."

Lara considered the plan. "Do we have this kind of time?"

"We don't have many other options. You're pretty efficient in your other jobs." Fury commented.

Lara gritted her teeth. "This is a bit different. You can ask me to secure an ancient treasure that may or may not exist, but asking me to lie and trick _the_ god of lies and tricks is a bit difficult for someone like me."

"Find common ground. You've both had dark histories." Fury mentioned. "Just _pretend _that you want to be his friend. I'm not asking you to like him. Persuade him."

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"I won't force you to do anything. But I would very much appreciate it."

It didn't take long for Lara to decide. "I'll do it."

**Hoped you liked it, thanks for reading, and please review! Srry if there was any grammar, spelling, or any other mistakes in my writing.**


	5. Prank Wars

**AN: Wow, its been waaay too long since i've updated, :/ Srry. So i made this chapter extra long! And some Loki! I hope you enjoy!**

_How does one become 'friends' with the evil god of mischief?_ Lara pondered as she set down the Norse Mythology book she had been reading. She picked up the next one in her stack, looking for any useful information about Loki.

"These books have plenty of content about Loki, but how accurate can they be?" Lara mumbled to herself. "I'm sure he didn't give birth to an eight-legged horse."

She flipped through the pages, finding knowledge similar to what was in the other books. Lara slammed the book close and flopped down on her new bed. She groaned while considering her options.

She could ask Thor for advice, but that would come off a little odd. She doubted Loki would be willing to answer any of her questions. As Lara contemplated her situation, there was a soft knock on her door.

Lara slid off her bed to answer the door, and found none other than Steve standing there. Lara smiled in greeting. "Hey, Steve. Is something up?"

"Oh, I was just wondering," He began, fidgeting slightly. "If you would have liked to eat with me, I mean us, the Avengers. We usually eat together in the cafeteria."

"There's a cafeteria here?" Lara asked as she stepped out of her room, shutting the door behind her. "I didn't know we were in high school."

Steve chuckled as he led the way down the hall. "I guess they figured it would be easier if everyone ate together."

Lara glanced at Steve, taking in his appearance. He dressed casually except for the brown leather jacket he had on. He wore a plaid button-down shirt, tucked in, and dark brown slacks.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, they entered a large room filled with long tables and people. All in all, it did look like a high school cafeteria. As she surveyed the area, Lara noticed a man waving at her from across the room. It was Tony gesturing at them to come and sit with the other Avengers. Steve and Lara moved to their table once they had gotten their food on trays.

Lara seated herself next to Natasha, who was sitting next to Barton. Steve sat across from Lara next to Thor. Tony and Bruce were next to each other, chatting about science. Natasha turned to speak to Lara.

"Hey, Lara," Natasha began. "I was wondering if we could… compare each other's hand-to-hand combat abilities."

Lara raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting a duel?"

"I'm curious as to how well you fight." Natasha smiled ruthlessly. "Don't worry; I'll go easy on you."

"Oh, I'm not worried." Lara joked back. "I was more concerned for your well-being than mine."

"Yeeeees!" Tony cheered. "Chick fight! Chick fight! Chick fight!"

Steve rolled his eyes, trying his best to enjoy his food and ignore Tony. Both Clint and Thor seemed interested in the idea while Bruce remained quiet.

"So, it's agreed. We'll meet in the training room once you're done with lunch." Natasha said to Lara as she and Clint moved to leave. "See you then."

Lara watched them leave then turned back to see that Tony had taken Natasha's spot.

"Definitely glad you're on the team." Tony affirmed with a sardonic smirk. Lara sighed as Tony pulled his tray over beside and began to get comfortable. Lara decided it was time for business.

"Could I ask you guys a question?" Lara asked somewhat hesitantly since it was leading up to an odd question.

The men offered up nods or 'of course's, agreeing to answer her question. Before she could ask, Tony interrupted her.

"You just asked us a question."

She decided to ignore him once again.

"How do you feel about Loki being here?" Lara started then noticed the bemused looks on their faces. "It must be odd after what has happened."

Steve answered for them. "Honestly, we never really see him."

Lara titled her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"He never comes here to eat, and he doesn't socialize with anyone. Not that that isn't surprising. He would receive death glares everywhere he went. Some might even try to hurt him." Steve explained.

Thor glared at Steve. "Watch your tongue, mortal. He is still my brother."

Tony scoffed. "I thought you said he was adopted."

Thor's glare moved to Tony. Tony shrugged, and replied, "Just repeating your words, Point Break."

"Well, he hasn't been _completely_ invisible." Bruce spoke up. "Actually, he's been living up to his title."

Everyone at the table groaned.

"Which title?" Lara had a bad feeling about this.

"Well, Goldilocks' brother has gotten a bit bored since he tried to take over the world. And he's been entertaining himself by playing pranks on us." Tony growled.

Lara's mouth dropped open and then she started laughing. The men stared at her, wide-eyed, wondering how she could think it was funny. Lara fought for control and quickly regained.

"Sorry," She said sheepishly. "What sort of pranks?"

Tony sighed. "Well, he somehow managed to reprogram Jarvis to do things different. Jarvis began calling me ma'am, repainted my iron suit pink, with flowers, and posted the most embarrassing photo of me all over the internet."

Lara started to laugh again, but quickly hid it. "Can I see the picture?"

Tony glared. "No. It took me forever to try and delete the copies. People probably still have some of them."

Lara smirked at Tony's pouting face. Tony continued Loki's list of pranks. "Then he managed to steal Capsicle's shield. _That_ took forever to find. Loki had hidden it in the ventilation ducts."

"I think one day he had decaffeinated the coffee in our coffee machine down in the labs." Bruce commented. "I don't really get that one, but we did keep falling asleep at our desks."

Tony shrugged. "As you said, his brain is like a bag of cats…"

"At least his pranks are harmless." Lara pointed out.

"I don't know. They're pretty immature and annoying. I expected better from the so called 'God of Mischief'." Tony scoffed as he popped a blueberry into his mouth.

xOxOx

"Any tips for me, Cap?" Lara asked Steve as they made their way to the training room.

Steve smiled lightly at the nickname she had used. "Natasha relies on speed and agility. But she's plenty strong enough to defend herself."

"Will you be rooting for me?"

Steve chuckled. "Yes, someone needs to beat her. She's taken down every one of us."

Lara looked surprised. "Really? Even you?"

Steve tried to hide his face as it turned red. "Well, I was going easy on her… and then she surprised me."

Lara laughed. She was really beginning to like Steve.

They entered the training room to find the others already there. Natasha was stretching, preparing herself for the duel. Clint watched her. Tony and Bruce were speaking to each other softly while Thor seemed to be distracted by his thoughts.

Tony smirked as Lara approached. "Finally! Let's do this thing! Or let's watch as you two do this thing!"

Lara removed her black leather jacket and began to place it on the floor when Steve stopped her and took it from her. Lara mumbled a 'thank you' as she pulled off her gauntlets, not wanting to injure Natasha. She quickly pulled her hair up into a ponytail and then met Natasha on the training mat.

Natasha had changed into her black leather jumpsuit for the fight. "Ready?" Natasha asked.

Lara cracked her neck before answering. "Of course."

Clint stepped in between them. "Alright, the rules are… there are no rules. Wow, that was horrible. But, try not to hurt each other too bad, okay? Now, begin!" Clint backed up quickly.

Lara took her stance, while Natasha did the same. Natasha moved quickly, sending her right hand towards Lara's face. Lara blocked her hand in time and stopped Natasha's foot from crashing into her stomach with her other hand. Lara back flipped away from Natasha, but Natasha was one step ahead. As Lara landed, Natasha shoved hard into Lara's chest, causing her to collapse on her back.

Lara gasped at the impact and quickly rolled away from Natasha who was about to land on top of her. Lara was back on her feet the same time Natasha had settled on the ground. Lara dove for Natasha using her back legs to give her momentum. Natasha didn't have time to react as Lara landed on her stomach.

Natasha struggled underneath Lara's weight before using her legs to wrap around Lara's waist. She pulled Lara down to the floor and then untangled herself from Lara. Lara jumped up to her feet, getting ready for her next move. Natasha jumped high in the air, one foot out aimed towards Lara's face. Lara swiftly rolled underneath Natasha while she was in the air. The moment Natasha's feet hit the ground; she turned back towards Lara and pounced on her back. Lara nearly fell from the impact, but managed to stay upright. Lara reached behind her and grabbed Natasha's hair and clothing. Lara pulled Natasha over her shoulder and slammed her into the floor. Natasha grunted as her back hit the floor and wasn't quick enough when Lara grabbed her again.

Lara grasped Natasha's arms and pinned them to her back. Natasha stomped hard on Lara's foot and threw her head back, connecting painfully to Lara's face. Lara groaned at the contact, raising her hand to wipe the blood from her mouth. Natasha didn't pause as she took a stance and kicked hard at Lara's head. Lara promptly blocked it and was able to seize Natasha's leg. Lara pulled hard, causing Natasha to lose her balance.

Natasha tried to roll away, but Lara sprung on top of her back in mid-roll. Lara used her legs to pin Natasha's legs to the ground. Lara then affixed Natasha's arm, leaving Natasha powerless.

"Alright! You win." Natasha finally yielded.

Lara removed herself from Natasha, panting after the exercise. "Thank goodness!"

Natasha stood and smiled at Lara. "I'm impressed. At first, I was going to go easy on you, but you proved you didn't need that." Natasha extended a hand, and they shook. "Sorry about your face." Natasha mentioned sheepishly.

Lara shrugged. "It's alright, it'll heal. How bad does it look?"

Natasha grimaced. "Well…"

Steve ran up next to Lara. "That was amazing! I didn't think that-…"

"That I couldn't fight that well?" Lara questioned.

"No!" Steve assured quickly. "Just that… well, it was… unexpected?"

Lara laughed. "It's fine, Steve. I'm just kidding."

"Right." Steve smiled then held up an ice pack. "Thought you might need this."

Lara took the ice pack and placed it against her beginning to swell mouth. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

Tony, Bruce, Clint, and Thor approached, a look of surprise written on their faces. Tony elbowed Clint and held out a hand. Clint rolled his eyes and pulled a twenty out of his pocket and handed it to Tony.

"Nicely done, Lara." Tony grinned as he stuffed the twenty into a pocket.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Were you betting on us?"

Tony and Clint cringed at Natasha's glare. Tony tried to laugh off the fear. "No, of course not… We…uh… just like to give each other twenties now and then. Right, Bruce?"

Bruce chuckled and backed away. "Don't bring me into this."

"Really, Clint?" Natasha asked.

"Well," Clint began. "If it makes you feel any better, I betted on you."

Natasha shook her head and began to walk away. "It doesn't."

Clint followed her, spewing apologies at the Russian assassin.

Silence ensued until Tony broke it. "Well, that was awkward. Anyway, nice job, Lara. I wish I had videotaped it."

"Yes, very impressive." Thor agreed. "You remind me of Lady Sif."

"Your wife?" Lara asked.

Thor's eyes widen. "My what?"

"In Norse mythology, Lady Sif is your wife." Lara chuckled at Thor's expression. "That must not be the case here, judging by your reaction."

"N-no, we are not married." Thor stammered, embarrassed. "We are just friends."

Tony snickered. "Suuurrrre. Your face says all. There was once a time where you two were more than friends."

Thor glared at Tony, but said nothing else.

"Now that I know you can handle yourself in a fight, maybe we could have a go sometime?" Steve suggested.

Lara smirked. "You're on."

xOxOx

_A few days later_

"Who bloody did this?!"

The Avengers were currently in the training room, each doing their own different exercise. They all stopped to look at Lara who had just entered the room, yelling. At first they couldn't tell what the problem was. Then they all gaped when they noticed her hair. Her brown hair was now a bright forest green.

"Wow, Lara." Tony was laughing. "I like the new color, it's really you."

The glare Tony received from Lara caused him to stop laughing.

"Who did_ this_?" Lara repeated with venom.

Everyone looked at Tony. Tony gaped. "What? I didn't do this. Lara, I swear it wasn't me. But I have a good idea who did."

Lara placed her hands on her hips. "Well?"

"Heeelllloooo? Maybe it was, oh I don't know, the God of freaking Mischief?" Tony pointed out.

"Where is he?" Lara asked the group.

Many shrugged and voiced that they didn't know. Thor looked down to hide his face and remained silent.

Lara stepped up to Thor. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. I rarely see him." Thor murmured, upset by this fact.

"Do you know where his room is located?"

"Why? What do you intend to do?" Thor asked, suspicious.

Lara crossed her arms. "Well, if I can't speak to him about his little prank, then he's going to get a taste of his own medicine."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Clint spoke up.

"Show me where his room is." Lara said slowly, looking expectantly at Thor.

"It would be best to not mess with him." Thor argued.

"Why? He doesn't seem so dangerous to me. Besides, he doesn't have his full powers." Lara mentioned. "I've dealt with worse than him. And if you don't tell me where his room is, I'm sure I could find it myself."

Thor sighed. "Fine. Follow me."

xOxOx

"I don't know how you plan to get in." Thor remarked. "Only Loki has a key card to his room."

"I'm sure Fury has one." Lara knelt down to the key card slider. She pulled out a long, pointed piece of metal from her pocket. She stuck it in the slider and moved it down the length of the slider until she found what she was looking for. The piece of metal slipped into a small indent inside the slider. That's when Lara shoved the piece of metal farther into the slider, causing it to break. Sparks flew from the small piece of machinery and the door slide open.

Lara stood. "Ta-da."

Lara entered the room. The furniture was placed the same way as hers. Anything in the room that could be green was. The comforter on the bed, the carpet, and other decorations were various shades of green. Next to the desk on the far side of the room laid a small bookcase filled with books. The room was tidy, and looked like it was barely used.

"If Loki's not here, then where does he spend his time?" Lara pondered as she moved about the room.

"He's not here. Let's leave." Thor tried to persuade Lara, but she didn't listen.

"You can leave if you wish. I need to find a way to get back at him." _Perhaps I can bond with him this way_, Lara thought.

"Why bother? This will only encourage him." Thor reasoned.

"Thor, just go. I'll be fine. I took care of Loki once, I can do it again." Lara reassured him, and softly pushed him out of the room.

"As you wish, Lara. But be careful." Thor warned and then he left.

Lara managed to pull the door closed part way for privacy. She went to the closet and found normal clothing hanging there, surprisingly. She found his Asgardian armor among the clothing and pulled it out. She considered doing something to it, but then decided against it. She closed the closet and continued searching around his room.

The desk was empty other than a few notebooks which were blank. She ran a finger over the spines of his books. She recognized most of them. Lara turned to his bed and noticed something sticking out from under the pillow. She lifted the pillow to find a brown leather book. She smirked when she thought of the possibility that she had found Loki's diary.

She opened the small, thick book to find elegant handwriting. There were dates at the top right corners of each page. Lara flipped to the last page. She read the last entry.

_04/22_

_Today I replaced Lara's shampoo with permanent green dye. Hopefully her reaction will prove more humorous than the other Avengers… I am tired of how dreadfully dull it is around here. Perhaps Lara will… 'spice things up' as the Midgardians say._

Lara gaped at the word 'permanent', but continued reading. She read a few more entries, which all had something to do with a prank he played on one of the Avengers or a S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agent. _This must be 'Loki's Prank Book'_, Lara thought wryly.

"Don't you mortals call this trespassing? And isn't it usually frowned upon?"

Lara gasped and whipped around to face the speaker. Loki stood before her, grinning maniacally. Loki's eyes dropped for a moment to the book she was holding and then back to her face.

"Did you do something different with your hair?" Loki asked as he grabbed a small strand of her and analyzed it. "The green looks very fetching on you." He smirked at her as he let go of the tip of her hair.

"Jerk." Lara hissed. "Did you have to use permanent?"

Loki looked confused. "Permanent? I'm afraid I don't know what you are referring to." He said innocently.

"You used permanent hair dye on me, you-…"

"Now, now." Loki interrupted. "Why would you assume _I _did this?"

Lara gave him a 'are you kidding me?' look. "You are the God of Mischief. And I have proof right here." She opened the book to the last entry and showed it to him.

Loki ripped the Prank Book from her hands with lighting speed. "May I ask what you are doing in my room? And why did you break my door?"

"I was trying to get back at you, if you must know. And it was the only way to get in." Lara answered.

"Get back at me?"

"Pull a prank on you, like you did me." Lara explained.

"Ah," Loki replied. "Well, I really don't like unwanted visitors snooping through my room." Loki growled moving slightly closer to Lara.

"You must have done the same to me, if you changed my shampoo into dye." Lara accused.

Loki chuckled, though Lara could still see the anger in his green eyes. "I suppose you are right. But I wasn't caught."

Loki shoved and pinned Lara against the wall. "Don't worry. The rooms are soundproof." Loki snarled into her ear. Lara glanced at the door that before was opened. Loki had managed to shut it all the way.

Lara remembered the last time she was in this situation, back on Yamatai. The Russian man had her pinned too. Lara did her best to get control of her fears and tried to come up with a plan to get away from Loki.

"Get off of me." Lara demanded quietly.

Loki slid one of his hands down to her hip and whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers, "Make me. You are only a mortal while I am a god. You do not have the strength to push me away."

Lara placed her hands on her chest and shoved with all her might be he didn't budge. "You obviously don't remember our meeting in the hallway."

Lara brought her knee up hard into Loki's groin, causing him to groan. As he was slightly dazed from the attack, Lara took her chance. She slipped under his arm and away from him, but Loki was too quick. His hand found her hair as she tried to escape. Lara cried out at the sudden pain on her head as Loki dragged her back to himself.

Lara reached for her boot, where a large knife was hidden. She grabbed the handle and waved it behind her blindly, hoping to hit Loki. Loki hissed in pain as the knife sliced his abdomen. He released Lara to look at the damage. He knew the wound would heal, but when he looked up, the door was open and Lara was gone.

xOxOx

_the next day_

Lara groaned as she looked at her now green hair in the bathroom. She could dye it a brown color, but it would not be her original color. She swapped her pajamas for jeans and a blue sweater.

As Lara went to the cafeteria for breakfast, her mind wandered to yesterday. She realized any chance of speaking to Loki was probably ruined. She would talk to Fury about what happened after she finished eating.

There were few people in the cafeteria, but she saw Steve and Clint at their normal table. Lara began to walk towards them when she noticed a new face in the room. She had to keep her mouth from dropping open when she saw Loki casually sitting at one of the tables. It was the first time she had seen him in here, and from what others had said, this might have been his first time being in here.

Loki was wearing a green button-up shirt and black jeans. He looked pretty Midgardian for an Asgardian, or a Jotunn. His green eyes were surveying the room and then stopped on her. He raised a hand and motioned to her to come.

_He can't be serious, _Lara thought, _he attacked me just last night._

Lara looked around to see if anyone else had noticed her arrival. She swiftly moved to his table and sat down cautiously. Lara glared at him as he ate quietly.

"Well?" She snapped.

Loki looked up at her, and what he said next surprised her. "I wanted to apologize for last night."

Lara crossed her arms defensively. "Oh, really?"

"I…" He paused, considering his next words. "I wasn't in my right mind."

Lara remained silent, trying to decide whether to forgive him or not.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked softly.

"You're certainly acting different this morning." Lara ignored his question. "Why?"

"I told you." Loki stopped her before she could continue. "Please answer my question."

Lara glared at him suspiciously and then replied, "I'm alright."

"Good." Loki sighed, as if relieved. "Did you tell anyone?"

"Ah, that's why you suddenly being nice. You don't want me to tattle on you." Lara said scornfully.

Loki ran a hand through his hair. "No, that's not the reason. I was generally worried I had hurt a woman."

"I'm fine." Lara growled, not believing a word he said. "How am I supposed to trust the words from the God of Lying?"

Loki let out a breath in defeat. "You're right. But I am sorry. For attacking you and dyeing your hair. If you speak to my bro-… I mean Thor, ask him to remove my bracelets." Loki left the room quickly.

_Bracelets?_ Lara puzzled. She got up and moved to the Avenger's table and sat next to Steve.

"Good morning." Steve said cheerfully, and then he noticed her expression. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." Lara waved it off.

"Are you going to eat anything?"

"Um, no thank you. I'm suddenly not very hungry." Lara murmured, lost in her thoughts.

xOxOx

As she put her hair in a ponytail, Lara entered the training room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Loki and Thor fighting. They were both wearing their impressive armor. Thor wielded a large sword while Loki used daggers and throwing knives to fight.

Lara stood next to Steve. "What's he doing here?"

Steve shrugged. "Beat's me. He came in with Thor. Do you feel better?"

Lara smiled at Steve. "I'm good, Steve."

Thor and Loki soon took a break and Lara went over to speak to them.

"What bracelets were you talking about?" Lara asked Loki.

Loki turned to Thor. "Could you please remove them?"

Thor looked at Loki, thinking hard. "One of them. What do you intend to do?"

"I wish to fix Lara's hair." Loki explained.

Lara raised an eyebrow as Thor nodded at Loki's request. Thor grabbed Loki's right arm and pulled the sleeve back to reveal a golden bracelet with Norse runes carved into it. Thor gripped the bracelet and broke it off Loki's wrist. Thor kept a hand on Loki's arm as Loki moved to touch Lara's hair.

"May I?" Loki asked for permission.

Lara's eyes flitted to Loki's hand and then to her hair. She nodded slowly, unsure, and pulled the ponytail holder out.

"You might want to bend over." Loki suggested as he grasped her hair. Lara did as he said, and a few moments later she saw drops of green hit the floor. Once Loki was done, there was a large puddle of green dye on the floor. Lara looked at her hair and it was its original brown color.

Thor locked the bracelet around Loki's wrist again. _The bracelets must stop him from using magic,_ Lara realized.

"Thank you." Lara said to Loki.

Loki smiled softly. "You're welcome. I suppose brown is fetching on you too."

**Thank you for reading! Please review and tell me what you thought :D. I apologize of any OOC, grammar, and/or spellings mistakes. Also, did anyone get the '****decaffeinated' joke? Btw, I also made a small adjustment to Chapter 3 concerning Loki's powers. **


	6. Bonding

**AN: I am so sorry that this took so long! I got half way through the chapter then I just got... stuck. Anyway here it is, and I hope you enjoy it. I do not own anything other than the storyline really. And thank you to those who are still reading this and thank you for reviewing/favoriting/following.**

"A little early to be training, isn't it?"

Lara peered down to look at the man standing on the floor ten feet below her. _How long had he been watching me?_ She wondered before calling down to Loki, "This isn't training. This is for fun."

Director Fury had installed a rock climbing wall similar to the one in Lara's mansion for her to use. Climbing helped clear her head and she was in need of that if she was going to interact with the god of Mischief.

Loki was wearing a green button-up shirt with dark jeans. "You find this fun?" He asked cynically.

"More fun than playing immature pranks on mortals." Lara joked as she decided where next to move.

There was silence for a few moments, and Lara wondered if he had left. She nearly had fallen when his voice was right next to her. "I'm not much interested in physical activity."

Lara looked to her left to see Loki gripping the handholds a couple of feet away from her. "Right. Your brother is more into this than you are." She was met with silence until she glanced back at him to see him glaring at her.

"He is _not_ my brother." Loki spat at her.

Lara was curious to see his reaction if she had mentioned Thor. She wasn't disappointed. She reached for another handhold and said, "Blood isn't everything." He didn't reply, so Lara decided to change the subject. "Was there a reason you came to me?"

Loki remained silent for a few moments before answering. "Not really."

Lara didn't believe him, but decided not to push him.

"Do you mind?"

Lara was surprised he asked that question. And she was even more surprised by her honest answer. "No."

Lara used her left hand to reach for a high handhold. The one her right hand was on currently suddenly broke off. She began to fall backward, not having enough time to grab another handhold. Lara prepared herself to land on the floor, which was about twenty-five below her.

Lara opened her eyes when she realized she was no longer falling. Her brown eyes met dazzling green. Loki had managed to snake his arm around her waist, saving her from the fall. Lara quickly grabbed handholds and found places to put her feet. Loki didn't remove his hand from her back until she was steady again. Lara looked at Loki who was trying his hardest not to meet her eye contact.

A few awkward moments passed before Lara found her voice. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

xOxOx

"You can eat with us, you know."

Loki looked up at Lara who had her hands on her hips and a smile tugging at her lips. He smirked and eyed what he supposed the mortals called 'food'.

"Oh, really? I didn't know that." Loki quipped.

Lara rolled her eyes and sat down across from him. "Why don't you?"

"Because I prefer not to be smashed by a gigantic green rage monster."

Lara chuckled. "He's not so bad when he's not green."

"Why do you care where I eat and who it is with?" Loki queried.

Lara straightened her back and replied indignantly, "I don't. I was only trying to be nice."

"I don't believe you." Loki stood and began to leave. Lara followed suit and quickly grabbed his arm.

"I _am_ trying to be nice." Lara stressed. "Though you make it so difficult."

"Why?" Loki whipped around to face her. "Why would you have any reason to treat me this way?"

"Because I don't think you're as bad as you think you are." Lara replied, looking him in the eyes. "Everyone has a back story, even the villains."

Seething, Loki ripped his arm out of Lara's hold. "You don't know anything."

"Then talk to me." Lara pressed. "I'd like to know. You think I won't understand, and I never will if you never give me a chance. Not all mortals are as senseless and idiotic as you believe."

"You are starting to sound like Thor." Loki growled.

"He's not as senseless and idiotic as you believe, either." Lara pointed out.

Loki rolled his eyes and turned to leave, throwing his trash away as he passed the garbage can.

"Wait, Loki!" Lara realized he wasn't going to stop and said, "Come to my room if you feel like talking!"

He was gone by the time she got the last word out. Lara sighed and quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed their discussion. No one was staring and most seemed distracted by their own conversations. She quickly grabbed a tray of food and moved to sit down with the other Avengers. She sat down across from Barton who was situated between Thor and Natasha.

Lara was bringing a spoonful of mashed potatoes to her mouth when she noticed Thor grinning widely at her. Lara lowered her spoon and asked Thor with a confused face, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Thor tried to hide his smile, but failed miserably. "Oh, nothing of importance." He replied and went back to his food.

"He's probably just glad someone is treating Loki decently for a change." Barton surmised as Lara finished taking a bite. "Why _are _you being nice to him?"

Lara looked up from her plate to meet Barton's gaze. She was startled when she found fiery anger in his eyes. She didn't expect him to feel so strongly about this. "Why do you care?"

"He doesn't really deserve it. After all he's done." Barton said through gritted teeth.

"Well, Barton." Lara began, as if speaking to a child. "I'm not asking _you_ to be nice to him. It's really none of your business if I choose to be kind to him."

Barton's face was turning red, fuming at the situation. "But why would you want to? You know what he's done."

"I have a feeling you aren't completely perfect in your past either." Lara shot back, feeling anger rise up within her. "None of us are perfect. We all have blood on our hands."

"At least ours isn't innocent blood!"

"Are you so sure? People we've killed, even if they seemed evil to us, they could have had families or other loved ones that depended on them." Lara pointed out.

"Now you're defending him?" Barton sprang out of his seat and braced himself against the table, raising his voice to a yell. "You don't know anything about him! He's a monster, who lies and kills and likes to 'play' with his victims! There is _nothing_ good about him!"

Lara stood up and brought her face close to his. "Because you know everything!"

The room got deathly silent. Lara could feel all eyes on her, but she didn't care. Lara and Barton looked to their left when they heard someone clearing their throat. Agent Hill had just entered the room and was investigating what was going on. She had her feet spread apart in a strong stance with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"Everything alright in here?" She asked once she got Lara and Barton's attention.

Lara and Barton pulled back from each other and tried to relax. Barton kept his eyes down and replied, "Yes. Everything's fine. Just a heated argument."

Agent Hill nodded with pursed lips. "All right. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Barton affirmed with a nod of his head. "Yes, ma'am."

Agent Hill went on about her business and the room soon returned to normal. Barton glared at Lara, which she returned, and then quickly exited the room. Natasha mumbled an apology and followed after him.

Lara took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she sat back down. She might as well leave, because she knew after that encounter she wouldn't be able to touch her food. She had almost forgotten that Thor was even there until he spoke.

"Thank you."

Lara focused on Thor. "What for?"

"For believing in Loki."

xOxOx

Lara finally located Barton in a room built for bow training. The far side of the room had six targets lined against the wall. Five of the six targets had arrows wedged into the middle. Lara watched as Barton released an arrow that flew quickly and hit the bulls-eye of the sixth target.

Barton glanced her way before pulling out another arrow and preparing his bow for another shot. Lara approached him slowly.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier." Lara stated as Barton shot another arrow.

Barton's gaze fell upon her and he paused, trying to decide his course of action. Finally he said, "I'm sorry too. I overreacted and took it out on you. I shouldn't have done that."

Lara could tell he had trouble saying those words. Knowing he was still dumbfounded by her kindness towards Loki, she decided to let him in on her secret.

She glanced around the room asked, "Are there any security cameras in here?"

Barton raised an eyebrow. "There is, but I had the microphones turned off so they can't listen in on my conversations."

"I know Loki wronged you horribly. Taking control of you and having you harm your own men, even having you attack someone you care for deeply, is terrible. And I do not side with Loki in any way, but… I have to make him think that." Lara began her explanation. Barton looked intently at her, letting her know he was listening. "Director Fury needs information from Loki. Information he's not willing to give. Fury thinks, perhaps if I can convince Loki I'm a friend, he may tell me what we want to know."

Barton scoffs. "I know another way to get information out of someone."

"Thor would never agree to torture, and we don't need to start a war with Asgard." Lara reasoned.

"Why didn't Fury tell the rest of the Avengers this?" Barton questioned.

"The fewer people that know, the better. If Loki found out he was being tricked, torture would be our last method left."

"So why did you tell me?"

"I thought you would like to know. I'm not trying to be Loki's friend. It's only a job." Lara replied, though deep down she felt like she was lying to Barton. _Do I care for Loki? How could I after the things he's done?_

Barton nodded, "Thank you. And since I'm not really supposed to know this, I shouldn't tell anyone else?"

Lara smiled. "That would be nice. I'm sure Director Fury will forgive me."

"Alright." Barton agreed.

"Are we good?"

Barton laughed. "Yeah, we're good."

xOxOx

"Reading about me a lot, I see."

Lara jumped at the voice after entering her room. She turned to see Loki, sitting at the desk, paging through her Norse Mythology books.

"When I told you could come and talk to me, I didn't mean barge into my room without my permission." Lara clarified, putting her hands on hips.

Loki looked up at her from the pages. He ignored her statement and asked, "Why are you studying about me?"

"I'm not studying you." Lara argued. "I like to read about Norse myths in my free time, for your information."

"Then why are all the stories I'm in highlighted?"

Lara bit her lip and replied, "I only highlighted the stories I found entertaining."

Loki smirked. "Oh, do you find me enter-…"

"Did you give birth to an eight-legged horse?" Lara interrupted him.

A confused look passed over Loki's face as Lara's question sunk in. Lara smiled triumphantly to see it had distracted him. "What are you talking about?" Loki demanded.

"In Norse Mythology, you turned yourself into a mare. You were impregnated and later gave birth to Sleipnir." Lara explained.

"I thought you said mortals weren't as idiotic as I believed." Loki commented, flipping through the book to find the story.

Lara chuckled as she sat on the edge of her bed. "Someone decided to tell the legend that way. Perhaps that someone was playing a prank on you, Loki Laufeysson."

Loki froze as she said his full name and she hoped she hadn't angered him. "You know of my origins?"

Lara's eyes fell to her lap sheepishly. "That legend is well-known, too."

Loki slammed the book close without a word and placed it back on the desk. "Apparently I was the only one who didn't know."

Silence ensued, causing the air to become awkward. "Was there something in particular you wanted to talk about?" Lara asked, breaking the spell.

Loki looked up to Lara, and then stood, examining her room. "Not really." He began checking the books she had in her bookcase.

"Do you mind if I ask you something, then?" Lara inquired, tentatively.

Loki turned back to her and smirked. "Why? Is there something you're dying to know?"

Lara swallowed, considering her next words carefully. "No-…"

"How about I ask questions about you?" Loki suggested. "Since you know so much of my history."

Lara had a bad feeling about this, but she consented. "Alright," She said slowly. "Ask."

Loki brought a finger to his lips, tapping and pretending to ponder a question. Lara felt uneasy, like she had made a deal with the devil. _Perhaps I did._

"Tell me of your past." Loki decided. "What made you the way you are today?"

Lara squirmed in her position. "How long do you have?"

"Oh, eternity." Loki replied, smiling sardonically.

"I suppose it all began when my mother disappeared." It was difficult for her to speak of this. _How long had she been in that place before she turned into… a thrall?_ She pushed it out of her mind, knowing the answer would only end up upsetting her.

"How did it happen?" Lara was taken aback when an emotion like concern passed over Loki's face.

"I was only nine at the time. We had managed to survive a plane crash in the country of Nepal. We came upon an old, abandoned monk temple where we stayed for shelter from the snow." Lara did her best to keep any emotion out of her voice. "I had been exploring the temple when I found a sword in a stone surrounded by five larger stones. I had touched the sword, causing a travel network to start up. My mother was taken away from me."

I always believed she had died that way, though my father thought differently. And it turned out he was right, in a way. After years of searching for her, my father was killed during one of his expeditions. And I took his place. I found my mother… what was left of her in a tomb built to resemble Helheim."

Lara stood up quickly, turning away from Loki to hide a lone tear that had fallen to her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, trying to regain control of her emotions. She jolted slightly when she felt Loki rest a hand on her shoulder. She did her best to conceal the look of incredulity on her face.

"I'm sorry." Lara turned back to him to see his face. Loki glanced at the hand on her shoulder and removed it to run through his black hair. "I hate Odin. And I will never again think of him as my father for what he has done. But a part of me will always think of Frigga as my mother."

Loki backed away from her and moved towards the door. "Thank you. For telling me."

"Wait!" Lara stopped as he opened the door. "I told you my past and now I would like to hear yours."

"The books weren't enough?"

"I want to hear it from you. Your point of view." Lara explicated.

Loki smirked, and said, "Another time perhaps."

Then he was gone and Lara was left alone.

xOxOx

"Have you gotten anywhere with him?"

Lara standing in front of Nick Fury's desk with her hands behind her back. He had called her in, wanting to hear about her progress with Loki. Or if there was any.

"I'm getting closer. I can tell he's beginning to trust me." Lara informed. "If I talk to him a few more times, I believe I will have the information you require. He has already agreed to speak to me again. This time about what happened in Asgard. The conversation will lead to his fall from the Bifrost and then I hope to ask about the Chitauri and where he acquired them from. Or who."

Director Fury nodded. "This is good. But the sooner, the better."

"Agreed." Lara affirmed.

"You may leave." Director Fury authorized by nodding towards the door.

"Wish me luck." Lara called back as she left.

xOxOx

"Hey, Troubleshooter."

Lara spun around quickly, swinging a punch at whoever had snuck up on her. Luckily, Tony happened to have good reflexes as he leaned backwards to escape her fist. He fell down and landed on his butt.

"Geesh! I was only saying 'hello'! Didn't think I'd deserve to get punched for it." Tony complained as he rubbed his injured tailbone.

Lara grimaced at what her reaction caused. "Sorry, Tony. I didn't hear you come in." She held out a hand that he took. She pulled him back on to his feet.

"I probably should have expected it. You're not so different from Natasha. I accidently sneaked up on her a week ago, and she kicked me in the stomach! I also probably shouldn't have come in when you were practice-punching a dummy." Tony concluded.

Lara laughed as she removed the gauze from her hands. "Probably not. Again, I apologize. I was getting some frustration out."

"I know another exercise that helps relieve stress." Tony grinned immaturely. "It requires two people…" Tony thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Or more even."

"Don't make me regret not punching you." Lara rolled her eyes at what he was referring to.

"Oh, nice burn."

"Was there something you wanted?" Lara asked before taking a long drink of water.

"Well, there are a lot of things I want, but by the look on your face, I'll just be serious now." Tony changed his tune quickly because of the glare Lara was giving him.

"Would you like to be the new punching dummy?"

"No, ma'am."

"Good. Now, you wanted something?"

"Well, I just wanted to ask you a question." Tony began. "I happened to see some of S.H.I.E.L.D's video feed… And I noticed something strange on it."

"Strange?"

"Yeah. A couple of nights ago… the video showed Loki. Leaving your room. At night time." Tony said slowly.

_Fury wouldn't allow anyone to see that. Tony must have done it without him knowing._ "Were you hacking in to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s video feed? Again?" Lara added, glaring at Tony suspiciously.

"Hey! FYI, there just so happens to be a cute little blonde working the cameras." Tony defended himself. "I was in there seeing-…"

"What is her name?" Lara wanted to see if Tony was lying or not, or to see if Tony cared about this 'cute little blonde'.

Tony paused, beginning to think hard about the question. "Um, I can't remember, but that's not the point! I was in there to see her, and I just happened to see the camera pointed at your door, and to see Loki exit from there. So, my question is… What the heck is that?"

Lara groaned in her head, trying to figure out how to respond. Finally, she answered with: "It's not really any of your business, Tony."

"Oh, so _he's_ your exercising partner." Tony observed, smiling widely.

"Tony!" Lara growled. "Look, we were only talking, and I'm going to have to ask you to please not tell anybody."

Tony frowned at the slight desperation in her voice. "Alright. I won't tell anyone. But S.H.I.E.L.D. knows which that's a lot of people."

"I know. But I'm not worried about them." Lara murmured.

Tony nodded silently, and turned to leave the room. "Uh, by the way, Lara?"

Lara looked up at him, thinking he had left already.

"I wouldn't care if Loki was your 'exercising partner'." Tony made air quotations. He exited the room, calling back a 'see ya later' before leaving.

Lara sat down on a bench, confused and surprised by Tony's last comment. Also slightly pissed that Tony even suggested the idea of her and Loki, but it was beside the point.

xOxOx

After exercising, Lara had showered and changed in the girl's locker room. She now entered her small room, carrying her bag of weapons and equipment. She froze when she noticed the mint green piece of paper on her desk, and then set her duffel bag on the floor.

Lara unfolded the small scrap of paper. The words were written with impressive cursive. _Definitely Loki._ The note read: _Meet me where you can see the stars._

Lara raised an eyebrow, trying to decipher what Loki meant. She trained her eyes upward and smiled to herself. _I wonder if we are allowed access to the roof._

xOxOx

Lara shut the door quietly behind her as she stepped onto the roof. Thankfully, it wasn't raining, but it still must have been cloudy since no stars were visible. Lara zipped her jacket up to keep the cold out as she looked around.

The roof was flat and in one corner, a heli-pad was built. Across from her was a small building, most likely used to keep equipment in. Lara barely noticed Loki sitting on the ground, leaning against this building.

Lara walked towards Loki and then sat down beside him. He was gazing up at the starless night sky. Lara waited patiently for him to speak.

"Does Midgard even have stars?" Loki questioned. "I've never seen them."

Lara laughed softly. "We do. Oregon's just not the best place for stargazing. It's almost always cloudy here."

Loki sighed. "Pity."

"Did you used to do it? Back on Asgard?"

"Yes. After a long day of dealing with Thor, it was a good way to relax."

"He's not that bad." Lara tried to persuade him.

Loki gave her a look. "I'll admit, he's better now. But he was ten times worse back on Asgard. He was always asking for '_Another!'_" Loki did his best Thor impression which caused Lara to start laughing which she did her best to cover with her hand.

"Alright, I'm convinced." Lara finally quieted down to get a sentence out.

Loki seemed satisfied. They were quiet for a moment and Lara hoped, given enough time; Loki would finally start talking about his past.

She decided to give him a nudge. "How did you find out? About being a Jotunn?"

"We were in Jotunheim. Thor, The Warriors Three, Lady Sif, and I. It was Thor's idea to come after the Jotunn managed to sneak in to Asgard during his coronation to become King."

"Did you have something to do with that?"

Loki smirked. "That is neither here nor there. They caused no damage. And they weren't meant to." He paused and then continued. "It was in the middle of the battle when a Jotunn grabbed my arm. Usually when Jotunns touch Asgardians, it causes a horrible case of frostbite. But that is not what happened to me." Loki's gaze fell down to his arm, remembering when it had turned blue under the Frost Giant's contact.

"And you had no idea about being adopted until that moment?"

"Hardly adopted." Loki growled. "Odin stole me and kept me until he would have use of me. It's the only reason he took me."

"Or perhaps he was taking pity on a newborn who seemed abandoned." Lara suggested.

"You obviously know nothing of Odin. He always has a reason, a scheme to try and fill out."

"Then you two are more alike than you've let on." Lara countered. "If Odin really was taking you, just to use you for his own plans later, than why would he treat you as a son? He allowed you to live in his castle. He could have made you a servant or a slave."

Loki stands up and starts to pace, obviously getting frustrated. "To keep a close eye on me perhaps? I don't know and don't you dare side with him!"

"I'm not siding with him. I'm only trying to help you solve this puzzle." Lara stated, getting up with him. "Did you ever get the chance to talk about your heritage?"

"No. He fell into the Odinsleep as we began to discuss it. Frigga explained to me that the reason they didn't tell me was so I wouldn't feel different than the others. A lot of good that did." Loki scoffed, finally pausing in his pacing.

Lara waited and contemplated her next question. "What happened after that?"

"I became King of Asgard." Loki noticed Lara's expression and decided to elaborate on what happened. "With Thor banished and Odin asleep, the throne fell to me."

"You had what you wanted. What happened that made everything spiral out of control?"

"The Warriors Three and Lady Sif didn't think I deserved the throne. They went after Thor against my orders." Loki seethed.

"Why not bring Thor back? Do you truly hate him so?"

"I did all those things to prevent Thor from taking the throne, because he was not ready."

"And you were? You had no right to decide that."

"You would have done the same in my place. I was only trying to save my people from being under his authority. He would have brought war upon us!" Loki rationalized.

"Yes, because you were doing such a good job at keeping the peace." Lara shot back. "You tried to destroy a realm of innocent beings! Thor may be brash, but he is not cruel like you are!"

"How do you know about that?" Loki asked with gritted teeth.

"It was in your file." Lara said simply. She needed to get back on track, so she quickly changed the course of their conversation before he could say anything else. "Then what happened? When Thor came back to stop you?"

Loki took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "We fought. And he destroyed the Bifrost to save Jotunheim." Loki seemed to have trouble how to continue so Lara finished for him.

"And the destruction of the Bifrost caused you to fall."

Loki wouldn't meet her eyes and kept looking downwards. "Not exactly. I let go."

Lara was blown back by his statement. She had known he had fallen, but she would never have thought he had let go. She desperately wanted to know why, but she was so close to finding out about what happened after he fell. Her duty won over her emotions. "And you landed on Midgard?"

Loki replied with one word. "No."

"Where did you g-…" Lara was interrupted by another voice.

"Lara?"

Loki and Lara turned to see who had come to the roof. Steve stood there inside the door frame with a very confused look on his face. "What are you doing up here? With him?"

Lara did her best to hide her frustrations at him. She knew she shouldn't be, but she had been finally getting somewhere with Loki. Loki didn't hide his annoyance at the soldier.

"Good night Lara." Loki snarled. "Perhaps next time we won't be so rudely interrupted by _your_ puppy." Loki pushed past Steve and left the roof, leaving Lara and Steve by themselves.

"Sorry. _Was_ I interrupting something?" Steve asked, still looking horribly confused.

"No, its fine Steve." Lara replied curtly, managing to calm herself down.

"Do you mind if I ask what you are doing up here? With him?"

"Uh, actually I do mind, Steve. I need some sleep." Lara said, coming up with an excuse not to talk to him. "I'll see you in the morning, good night."

She left Steve on the roof by himself, who felt slightly hurt by Lara's reaction.

**I apologize if there were any grammar or spelling mistakes. Thank you for reading, and plz review!**


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